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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Gabriel McKay

Red Star sent Rangers atmosphere warning as Serbian star recalls Ibrox roar so loud 'you can't hear your team mates'

The Marakana is revered as one of the most hostile atmospheres in Europe, but Red Star have been told that similar awaits them at Ibrox.

The Serbian giants take on Rangers in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie on Thursday, with the return in Belgrade later this month.

While a 1990 meeting saw Graeme Souness' legendary Nine in a Row team played off the park, the Premiership champions got the best of Red Star in their last meeting.

Filip Djordjevic played in that tie, with Rangers progressing 1-0 on aggregate after 180 minutes.

And the striker believes that the noise at Ibrox will be so deafening it will remind the visitors of their fierce derby with Partizan Belgrade.

Djordjevic told Mozart Sport: "Anything could happen, Rangers are the ideal opponent for this Red Star team.

"They've returned to the top of Scottish football, they beat Borussia Dortmund. But the matches against Red Star will be a completely different intensity and setting.

"They still seem to be lacking something after (Steven) Gerrard's departure, I'd say it's 50-50.

"If you asked me directly I wouldn't be satisfied with a narrow defeat, that would make the second leg tricky. In that instance you have to be really careful not to concede another one.

"Red Star can do a very good job at Ibrox.

"The atmosphere at Rangers' stadium is one of the best I've experienced in my career, you literally can't hear your team-mates.

"The stadium is acoustic, just one Rangers fan would be heard loudly. Luckily our team are used to something similar, it will almost be like playing a derby (against Partizan)."

Djordjevic could have taken Red Star through on their last visit to Ibrox, but he hit the bar with a chance to make it 1-1 - a result which would have meant progression if the 0-0 draw in Serbia in the second leg didn't change.

He recalled: "Whenever I come to Belgrade, people remind me that I hit that bar at Ibrox. I can only imagine how I would have been remembered among the fans if I had hit the net. I was a kid then, I didn’t have too much fear of Rangers.

"They played in the final of the Europa League that season, they were a serious team. But we played hard and without respect. We played pretty well, especially in the first match."

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